62nd
General Assembly
Mexico City, Mexico
September 29 to October 3, 2006
Camino Real Hotel
Reports and Resolutions
|
CUBA
Resolution of the 62nd General Assembly
Mexico City, Mexico
September 29 – October 3, 2006
WHEREAS
press freedom has been suppressed in Cuba for 47years
WHEREAS
the government is keeping 26 journalists, may of whom have serious health problems,
in unhealthy and crowded prisons, where conditions are aggravated by terrible
food, a lack of medical attention, mistreatment of the inmates and the requirement
to leave with very dangerous common prisoners
WHEREAS
police intimidation, government reprisals, temporary detentions, searches of
homes and harassment by mobs mobilized and instigated by State Security agents
have increased, all with complete impunity
WHEREAS
the Cuban government has a highly restrictive policy on granting work visas
to foreign journalists
WHEREAS
journalist Guillermo Fariñas ended his hunger strike after seven months
for health reasons, although the cause of his protest, lack of access to the
Internet, has not changed
WHEREAS
Principle 1 of the Declaration of Chapultepec says, No people or society can
be free without freedom of expression and of the press. The exercise of this
freedom is not something authorities grant, it is an inalienable right of the
people”
WHEREAS
Principle 4 of the Declaration of Chapultepec says “Freedom of expression
and of the press are severely limited by murder, terrorism, kidnapping, pressure,
intimidation, the unjust imprisonment of journalists, the destruction of facilities,
violence of any kind and impunity for perpetrators. Such acts must be investigated
promptly and punished harshly
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES
to demand the unconditional release of all the jailed
journalists and the end of government reprisals
to demand that the Cuban government end its selective
policy on granting visas to foreign journalists
to demand that the government respect international standards
concerning the need for journalists to travel and allow journalists who have
been released from jail and who have visas for health reasons to leave the country
to demand that the government accept Guillermo Fariñas’s
proposal that the Internet be accessible to all Cuban citizens without restrictions.
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